Mechanism for wire and tape recording and playing apparatus



July 29, 1958 R. B. RHOADES ,8

MECHANISM FOR WIRE AND TAPE RECORDING AND PLAYING APPARATUS Filed April 26, 1954 F/G. 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT E. RHQAOES ATTORNE Y- iiinited States Patent Ofiice MECHANISM FOR WIRE AND TAPE RECORDING AND PLAYING APPARATUS Robert B. Rhoades, Coloma, Mich., assignor to V-M Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April, 1954, Serial No. 425,402

1 Claim. (Cl. 24255.12)

- Wire recording and playing machines. Thus, it is sufficient to explain the present invention in connection with tape machines only.

In the usual tape machines having recording and playing heads and the usual take-up andsupply reels, means are provided for controlling the starting, running and stopping of the machine by mere manual manipulation.

In recording work, it frequently occurs that the machine is stopped and started at frequent irregular intervals. With the conventional type of both tape and wire machines, this starting and stopping have caused surge clicks or audible signals which are actually recorded on the tape. During play-back, these surge clicks are very objectionable, especially in the case of using the machine for dictation purposes.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide a recording and playing mechanism which will not produce the aforementioned objectionable clicks.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a control apparatus for a recording and playing machine which is manually manipulable to start and stop the machine and which will not produce the aforementioned objectionable audible signals.

It is still another object of this. invention to provide a control mechanism for a recording and playing machine which when operated in a predetermined manner stops the recording or playing operation almost instantaneously and when further operated starts the operation from almost the exact point at which the first operation ceased.

Other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the forms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that specific change may be made in the specific contsructions illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of this invention in running condition; and i Fig. 2 is a similar view with the machine stopped.

With reference to the drawings, a sheet metal supporting plate or frame is indicated generally by the reference numeral and may comprise the usual flat material which is sufficiently strong to carry the weight of the machine parts. For convenience in illustrating and describing this invention, the underside of the frame 10 with the necessary parts mounted thereon is shown. Certain operating arm 18 is supported on the frame 10 by means of the slot 20 and pin 22 which permits the arm 18 to be longitudinally moved. A capstan 24 is rotatably carried by the plate 10 and is driven at, a constant velocity by any means conventionally used. .A pressure roller 26 is 'journalled on the carriage bar 12 for cooperative engagement with the capstan 24 for frictionally compressing a tape 28 against the latter. It should be understood that the capstan 24 and pressure roller26 are shown in solid lines for clarity of illustration, but that these parts are actually on the opposite side of the frame 10. The connection between the left end 16 of the carriage bar and the operating arm 18 is such that the carriage bar 12 will be-swung about its pivot 14 as the operating arm 18 is moved longitudinally. A tension spring 30 yieldably urges the arm 18 upwardly and to the left as viewed in the figures.

Pivotably secured on the opposite end of the operating arm about the pivot pin '32 is a brake lever 34 which carries a brake shoe 36 on its right-handend; The lever 34 is pivoted on the plate 10 by means of a pin 38 such that reciprocal longitudinal movement of the arm. 18 will serve to correspondingly move the brake shoe 36 into and out of brake-applying engagement with a suitable drum 40. This drum 40 may be of any cylindrical design and is rotatably carried by the supporting plate 10. As will be seen in Fig. 2, the operating arm 18 when moved downwardly moves the brake shoe 36 into frictional engagement with the drum 40. This drum 40 is in turn connected to a suitable spindle which carries the usual takeup reel indicated by the dashed line circle 42. Starting and stopping of the take-up reel 42 is thereby controlled by operation of the arm 18.

During release of the brake 36, the take-up reel 42 is driven by the usual slipping belt or band 44 extending around the drum 40 and a drive wheel 46. A suitable motor is connected to this drive wheel 46. The drive belt 44, the drum 40 and wheel 46 are so arranged that during the periods of brake application (i. e., when the reel 42 is held against rotation) the belt 44 will merely slip around the drum 40. This particular driving construction is conventional in the art.

A suitable tension spring 48 is connected between the brake lever 34 and the frame 10 to normally urge the brake 36 away from the drum 40.

A post or abutment 50 projects from the plate 10 adjacent the upper end of the arm 18. By moving the arm 18 downwardly and slightly counter-clockwise about the pin 22 as shown in Fig. 2, the right-angle ratchet or cut-out 52 may be engaged with the abutment 50. The spring 30 is set at such an angle that it will normally hold the arm in locking engagement with the abutment 50 such that the brake 36 will be maintained applied.

Suitable guide posts 54 and 56 upstand on the frame 10 on opposite sides of the capstan-pressure roller combination 24, 26. A tape supply reel 58 is normally ro tatably carried by plate 10 about a spindle 60 in a conventional manner. I

In operation, the tape 28 is threaded from the supply reel 58 over the guide post 56, between the capstan and pressure roller 24, 26, around the guide posts 54 and onto the take-up reel 42. Rotation of the take-up reel 42 will thereby wind the tape 28 thereon.

The usual recording or playing head is mounted on the plate 10 such as to receive the tape 28, but since this Patented July 29, 1958 j 3 bras. s s ne es l a pa t of his n en n. t i n illustrated in the drawings.

In normal running condition, the apparatus is as shown in Fig. 1. The brake 36 is released and the pressureroller 26 is engaged with the capstan 24. The capstan 24 servesllto drive the tape 28 at a constant linear velocity, and the take-up reel 42 Winds the used tape thereon. The supply reel 58 is thereby rotated by the capstan 24 throughthe intermediary of the tape 28.

When his; desired to stop the machine, the operating arm 18 is movedlongitudinally downwardly to the positionas shown in Fig. 27 The brake 3,6 stops the reel 42and the carriage bar 12 Withdraws the pressure roller from the capstan 2 4. Thus, there is no driving force applied to the tape 28.

Instarting the machine, the operating arm 18 is moved longitudinally upwardly to cause release of the brake 36 and engagement of the pressure roller with the capstan 24.

In a preferred arrangement, the brake shoe 36 stops the reel 42 just after the release of the pressure roller 26 from the capstan 24. Because of the slight inertia of the supply reel 58 and the momentary driving force of the reel 42, the reel 58 will coast slightly so as to slacken the. tape 28. The slackened tape 28 corresponds to a What is claimed is:

A mechanism for use in a tape recorder and player comprising a chassis, a take-up reel and a free running supply reel rotatably mounted on said chassis, a capstan rotatably mounted on said chassis, a carriage arm pivoted on said chassis, a pressure. roller carried by said arm for selective engagement with said capstan, an operating member mounted on said chassis for. reciprocation and having an operating connection with said carriage arm so that reciprocation of said member serves to move alternately said roller into and. out of. engagement with said capstan, a brake shoe movably mounted on said chassis for selective operative engagement with said takeup reel, said brake shoe serving to stop rotation of said take-up reel almost instantaneously, said brake shoe having an operative connection with said operating member, a selectively operable locking device on said chassis operatively engageable with said operating member for locking the latter in brake-applying position, a spring yieldably urging said brake shoe out of operative engagement with said take-up reel, the connections between said operating member, said carriage arm and said brake shoe providing; disengagement of said pressure roller from said capstan prior to brake-applying actuation of said brakeshoewhen said operating member is operated.

ReferencesCited inthe fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,500,903 Neif Mar. 14, 1950 2,555,643 Harrison June 5, 1951 2,645,495 Nelson July 14, 1953 

